Zambia is where the modern walking safari was born, and South Luangwa National Park remains one of the best places on the continent to experience it - on foot, with an armed guide, moving slowly enough to actually read the bush. Add Victoria Falls, one of the natural wonders of the world, and Zambia rewards travelers looking for something a little less crowded.
Zambia's parks see a fraction of the visitor numbers of Kenya or Tanzania, which makes for an intimate, unhurried style of safari - walking safaris in South Luangwa, canoe trips on the Lower Zambezi, and night drives that reveal a different side of the bush entirely.
Victoria Falls, shared with Zimbabwe, is the trip's obvious centrepiece - over a kilometre wide and dropping more than 100 metres, with white water rafting and helicopter flights available on the Zambian side.
Zambia rewards a slower pace - plan on a few days in each place rather than rushing between parks.
One of the world's largest waterfalls, with rafting and gorge walks.
The spiritual home of the walking safari, with dense leopard populations.
Canoe safaris and riverside game viewing along a wide, wildlife-rich river.
Zambia's largest park, remote and rich in birdlife and predators.
Guided bush walks that put you closer to the ground and the detail.
Grade 5 rapids on the Zambezi below Victoria Falls.
Quiet canoe trips along the Lower Zambezi's wildlife-rich banks.
Riverine and woodland species across Zambia's low-traffic parks.
A starting point only - every itinerary below can be adjusted to your dates, pace and budget.
The dry season from May to October gives the easiest game viewing and access to walking safaris; the Falls themselves are most dramatic just after the wet season, around March to May.
A guided bush walk, usually with an armed scout, moving slowly on foot to track and observe wildlife and smaller details missed from a vehicle.
Both sides offer different views; the Zambian side gives closer access to the Falls themselves and more activities like rafting and gorge swings.
Shortly after the wet season, from around March through May, when water volume is highest.
Yes, Zambia pairs naturally with a wider Southern Africa itinerary; ask us about combined routings.
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